The 15 richest women in Russia from the Forbes 2020 list

Heiresses of the family business, founders of their own companies, private investors - we tell you how the richest women of our country look and what they do.

Despite the mass of changes that have occurred in the world, which were associated with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, the heroines of our today's material were able not only to save their capital, but also to increase it by taking advantage of the opportunities that opened up. We are looking into who entered the list of the richest women in Russia 2020 according to Forbes, and how they managed it.

Age: 57 years oldNet worth: $1.3 billionWhat does: President of Inteco Management

The widow of Yuri Luzhkov has been the permanent leader of the Forbes list for fourteen years. Until 2011, Baturina was the owner of the Russian development company Inteco, founded by her in 1994, however, seventeen years later, Elena decided to sell the corporation and focus on business development abroad.

Today, the entrepreneur is engaged in investments, investing in the development of the hotel business, the residential and commercial real estate industry, renewable energy and membrane technologies, and last year Elena Baturina expanded the range of activities and acquired Artisan Farm Ltd cheese company, which produces brie and gouda cheeses.

In addition to commercial activity, Baturina is engaged in charity and holds in her hands the activities of the BE OPEN foundation, which supports aspiring representatives of the world of art and science, and, in addition, collects porcelain — according to experts, the businesswoman's personal collection is not inferior to world museum expositions.

Age: 44Net worth: $1.1 billionWhat does: CEO of Wildberries

Tatiana Bakalchuk is the second female billionaire in Russia, whose fortune for 2020 is estimated at $ 1.1 billion. Tatiana is the founder and CEO of the Wilberries online store, founded in 2005.

Today, the entrepreneur admits that it was the pandemic that opened up new horizons for her business — at the beginning of this year, the company's profit doubled, and, in addition, the corporation's commercial activities spread beyond Russia, including by conquering the Slovak market and Poland.

It is noteworthy that not only Tatiana Bakalchuk stood at the origins of the company's creation, but also her husband Vladislav, who today is also engaged in the development of Wildberries, responsible for sales, procurement and marketing.

Age: 31Net Worth: $700 millionWhat he does: Investments

The daughter of the co-owner of the Lukoil company Leonid Fedun began her independent business activity in 2018 — then Ekaterina's father gave her part of the shares and securities of the corporation, which provided the entrepreneur with a debut in the Forbes rating with a fortune of $ 700 million.

Little is known about the details of the businesswoman's professional and personal life — according to the data, Ekaterina now owns 1.2% of Lukoil shares and is actively investing in Russian and foreign companies, multiplying her capital.

As for her personal life, six years ago Fedun married Johan Geraskin — today the couple is raising two children.

Age: 53Net Worth: $600 millionWhat he does: Investments

Elena Rybolovleva first entered the list of the richest women in the country in 2016 — that was when the protracted divorce process of the entrepreneur and her ex-husband Dmitry Rybolovlev ended, as a result of which the woman received $ 600 million and the businessman's real estate in Switzerland.

It is known that the reason for the couple's divorce was Dmitry's infidelity — in Elena Rybolovleva's lawsuit, which she filed in 2008, it was said about the serial infidelity of her husband, and as evidence, pictures and video recordings of the entrepreneur on his yacht surrounded by young models were presented.

Initially, according to the court's decision, Elena relied on half of her husband's assets (approximately $ 5.1 billion), but a little later the decision was revised due to the information received about the transfer of part of Rybolovlev's fortune to trusts intended for his heirs before the divorce.

As a result, the ex-spouses were able to come to an amicable agreement, and today Elena closes the top five women millionaires on the Forbes list.

Age: 50 yearsNet Worth: $500 millionWhat he does: Investments

Olga Belyavtseva's entrepreneurial activity began with her first job at the plant of the Ministry of Fruit and Vegetable Farming in the 1990s. A little later, the businesswoman headed the economic department of the enterprise, which in 1992 turned into a juice production plant "LLC Lebedyansky".

For several years, Belyavtseva achieved active development of the concern and became a shareholder - by 2006, LLC Lebedyansky occupied 30% of the Russian market and held a leading position in the industry. And already in 2008, one of the largest deals in the history of the industry took place — the concern was sold to PepsiCo Corporation for $ 1.8 billion.

At the same time, the entrepreneur reserved the right to own several companies for the production of consumer goods, including the concern for the production of mineral water and baby food "Progress" and "Agronomist-Garden", whose activities are focused on the cultivation of fruit trees.

Age: 60 yearsNet Worth: $450 millionWhat does: Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of PJSC Novatek

Tatiana Kuznetsova's professional career began in 1986 in the legal department of the company "Purneftegazgeologiya", however, the first large-scale career achievement of the businesswoman was the beginning of work in the gas company "Novatek" in 2002 — in five years spent within the walls of the corporation, Kuznetsova went from the head of the legal department to a member of the management board with 2.75% of shares.

Over the past year, Kuznetsova's fortune has decreased from $ 460 million to $ 450 million, which has shifted her from seventh to eighth place in the prestigious rating.

Age: 62Net Worth: $400 millionWhat he does: Member of the Board of the Andrey Guryev Charitable Foundation

Evgenia Guryeva, a graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute, began her career as a radio engineer at Aeroflot, but in 2007, the entrepreneur and wife of the founder of PhosAgro Holding, Andrey Guryev, whom they met while studying in high school, joined the board of the corporation, taking possession of 4.82% of the shares of one of the largest fertilizer producers in Russia and Europe.

To date, the fortune of Evgenia Gurieva is estimated at $ 400 million, and, in addition, the businesswoman owns several expensive real estate objects in the Russian Federation and Great Britain, an impressive car fleet and other assets and securities.

Evgenia Guryeva is currently a board member of a charitable foundation founded by her husband, whose activities are focused on financial assistance in the restoration of objects of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Age: - 64 yearsNet Worth: $400 millionWhat he does: Investments

Natalia Lutsenko, a politician and entrepreneur, began her activity in 1996 from the position of deputy head of the city of Kislovodsk, dealing with the economic development of the region, in 2009 she took the post of mayor of the city, and three years later she joined the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Local Self-Government.

In parallel with her political activities, Natalia, together with her husband Alexander Lutsenko, was engaged in the development of a joint business specializing in the production of feed, and already in 2004, the couple founded the largest soy bean processing company "Sodruzhestvo".

For several years of active activity, the holding has taken strong positions both in the Russian and foreign markets, and Natalia Lutsenko's personal capital for 2020 is estimated at $ 400 million (25 million less than last year).

Age: 60 yearsNet Worth: $400 millionWhat does: General Director of Irkutsk Oil Company

Marina Sedykh, co-founder and permanent CEO of Irkutsk Oil Company, has been engaged in the development of the corporation since 2000, investing in the development of infrastructure and new fields. According to experts, the percentage of Gray shares for 2019 was 10.1, and in 2008 the businesswoman also headed the INC-Capital corporation.

To date, Marina Sedykh's fortune is $ 400 million, which allowed her to take the twelfth line of the prestigious rating.

In addition to commercial activities, the entrepreneur participates in a number of charity projects and is engaged in collecting rare objects of fine art.

Age: 55Net Worth: $350 millionWhat he does: Investments

Another "newcomer" of the Forbes rating Lyudmila Kogan inherited her fortune in 2019 after the death of her husband Vladimir Kogan, the owner of a controlling stake in Uralsib - according to experts, the entrepreneur has 81.1% of the bank's shares.

Until that moment, the businesswoman developed in the fashion industry, owned part of the shares of a large retail company, and later concentrated her activities in the construction sector, heading BFA-Development.

Age: 53Net Worth: $300 millionWhat he does: Investments

Irina Abramovich received capital after her divorce from her ex-husband Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club. The businesswoman reportedly received 150 million pounds and several luxury homes in In the United Kingdom as a result of the divorce process, and, in addition, Irina's ex-husband also assumed obligations for the maintenance of five common children.

Age: 65 yearsNet Worth: $300 millionWhat does: TAIF Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance

Having gone from a simple accountant to deputy CEO of the TAIF oil refining holding, Guzelia Safina occupies the fourteenth line of the Forbes rating with a fortune of $ 300 million — the businesswoman owns 4.5% of the company's shares.

Little is known about the life of the entrepreneur, but some experts suggest that Safina is the sister of the head of PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Safin Ildus Mukharyamovich, whose enterprise is part of the TAIF group of companies.

Age: 40 yearsNet Worth: $300 millionWhat he does: Investments

Polina Yumasheva became the owner of 5% of the shares of the metallurgical corporation En+ Group, owned by her ex-husband, entrepreneur Oleg Deripaska, after the divorce process, which took place in 2018.

It is noteworthy that earlier the businesswoman was also engaged in journalistic activities (Polina's parents are prominent representatives of this professional sphere) and became a co-owner of Look At Media, taking control of Wonderzine, Furfur and The Village publications.

Age: 54Net worth: $270 millionWhat does: President of the InfoWatch Group of Companies

Entrepreneur Natalia Kaspersky started her career as a consultant in one of the stores selling mobile equipment, but already in 1997, the businesswoman and her husband Evgeny Kaspersky decided to create their own company Kaspersky Labs. Despite the fact that the couple broke up in 1998, Natalia was one of the co-owners of the holding until 2011.

Today, Kaspersky heads her own InfoWatch corporation, whose activities are focused on information technology and cyber security, occupies the seventeenth line of the Forbes rating and is considered one of the most successful women in the IT field.

Age: 63 years oldNet worth: $270 millionWhat does: Member of the Board of Directors of PJSC Lukoil

Entrepreneur Lyubov Khoba has worked together with the owner of Lukoil holding Vagit Aleksperov since the 1980s, holding senior positions first in his company Kogalymneftegaz, and then taking the position of chief accountant of Lukoil.

Today, Hoba is a member of the company's board of directors and owns 0.44% of the holding's shares - last year, the businesswoman occupied the fourteenth line of the rating, but in 2020 her name moved to the eighteenth.